Things To Do in New Orleans

The Crescent City brims with historic architecture, famous cuisine, and fascinating characters. In addition to these familiar sites, you’ll also find several must-see attractions. Explore the Asian Domain at the Audubon Zoo, where sun bears and even a white tiger reside, check out the nightlife on Bourbon Street and Frenchmen Street, or try your luck at Harrah’s Casino. New Orleans offers plenty of easy transportation options for visitors and locals alike. Looking for something close to Bienville House Hotel? The Audubon Aquarium, Entergy IMAX Theatre, and St. Louis Cathedral are but a quick journey on foot.

Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium
Located in the historic U.S. Custom House on Canal Street in downtown New Orleans, the Audubon Insectarium will delight you with “up close and personal” live insect encounters, the indelible story of the Crescent City, and insects, and “Life Underground,” where you’ll be shrunk to insect size.Address: 423 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70130Phone: (800) 774-7394Hours: Closed Monday / Tues. – Sun. 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

St. Louis Cathedral
This magnificent cathedral was built around 1849 and was designated a minor basilica in 1964 by Pope Paul VI. Mass said daily.Address: 615 Pere Antoine Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116Phone: (504) 525-9585Hours: Free tours available Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm and Sunday 1:30pm-5pm. The St. Louis Cathedral gift shop is open daily, 9am-6pm.

New Orleans Museums

Where art meets history and culture

With over 40 museums in New Orleans to choose from, it’s easy to immerse yourself in the city’s rich history and sensational culture. New Orleans museums run the gamut – from an emphasis on Southern art at the Ogden Museum to a comprehensive look at the Second World War at the National WWII Museum. Those seeking modern works might enjoy the Contemporary Arts Center or NOMA. In typically quirky New Orleans fashion, the Musee Conti Wax melds history – and scandal – with artistic wax sculptures.

Shopping in New Orleans

Local goods and national brands in one charming spot

No matter if you’re on the hunt for souvenirs or simply looking for something for yourself. New Orleans shopping offers an array of goods. Start at French Market – the country’s oldest public market founded in 1791 – then work your way over to Royal Street for antiques. The French Quarter is also home to Faulkner House Books, Nola Kids, and UAL, where you’ll have access to designer clothing and accessories at deeply discounted prices. Within walking distance is the Central Business District: head to the Shops at Canal Place, the Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, and the Shops at Jax Brewery for more traditional stores. Ready to top off your day? Try Goorin Bros., a unique hat shop.

Magazine Street
Famous for its miles of locally owned boutiques and restaurants as well as national retailers, Magazine Street is a shopper’s paradise. Magazine Street is easily accessible by car or public transportation from our French Quarter hotel.

Royal Street
Just steps away from our French Quarter hotel, Royal Street is famous for its elegant antique furniture, décor, art galleries, and jewelry boutiques.Hours: The street is closed to cars from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. to serve as a pedestrian mall.

New Orleans Restaurants

Every meal is a culinary experience in New Orleans

New Orleans is known as much for its sensory countenance as it is for its high-spiritedness, and nowhere is this more palpable than in the glorious food offered at local New Orleans restaurants. This city is enthusiastic about its cuisine, which can be found in every direction and on every level – in the deli on the corner, at the neighborhood po’ boy shop, on the contemporary seasonal menus of swanky hotel lounges, and in the old grande dame restaurants that have soldiered on for generations. You are going to want to eat a lot here. Feel free to unbuckle your pants after dessert.

New Orleans Tours

Learn obscure facts and history with specialized New Orleans tours

New Orleans boasts hundreds of years of history – the stories and buildings born out of so many years are nearly impossible to keep up with. Fortunately, several tours are available for tourists interested in learning more about the city and its one-of-a-kind narrative. Choose from neighborhood and themed tours, or try a haunted history tour that pays a visit to cemeteries and other haunted locales. Water tours on Steamboat Natchez are a memorable choice, as well.

Gray Line Tours of New OrleansAddress: 400 North Peters Street, Suite 203, New Orleans, LA 70130Phone: (504) 569-1401 or (800) 223-2628 for reservations
Gray Line Tours offer the following New Orleans tours:

Hurricane Katrina – America’s worst (man made) disaster

Swamp & Bayou – Boat trip into South Louisiana’s wetland

Super City – 300 years of history, legends & romance

Plantations – The South’s most picturesque antebellum setting

Paddle & Wheel – Natchez Cruise plus the City Tour

French Quarter – One of America’s oldest neighborhoods

Garden District – Elegant homes off St. Charles Avenue

Cemetery & Voodoo – Visit the tomb of Marie Laveau

New Orleans Cocktail – Discover other famous “spirits”

Ghost & Spirits – The haunted French Quarter at night

Haunted History Walking ToursPhone: (504) 861-2727 or (888) 644-6787
Haunted History Walking Tours specializes in ghost, voodoo, vampire, and cemetery tours of New Orleans. Haunted History Walking Tours offers the following New Orleans tours:

New Orleans Nightlife and Live Music

Find live music and nightlife around every corner

The city of New Orleans and music are an enduring couple. Since its inception nearly 300 years ago, the city has played an integral role in music history, contributing to the development of jazz (including a sub-genre, New Orleans Jazz) and nurturing a long line of musicians and performers. To this day, music pulses through the streets, especiallyafter dark. Pair your night out with toe-tapping rhythms for an evening to remember whether you’re in the intimate confines of a French Quarter jazz club or a premier music venue like Tipitina’s in Uptown.

Harrah’s Casino
The South’s largest casino is located at the foot of Canal Street.Address: 228 Poydras Street, New Orleans, LA 70130Phone: (504) 563 – 6000Hours: Open daily, 24 hours a day.

House of Blues
Featuring Southern-Inspired Delta Cuisine in a casual juke-joint setting. Visit the House of Blues website for a calendar of live music performances.Address: 225 Decatur Street, New Orleans, LA 70130Phone: (504) 310-4999

d.b.a. New Orleans
Live music nearly every night of the week, in the heart of Frenchmen Street.Address: 618 Frenchmen Street, New Orleans, LA 70116Phone: (504) 942-3731

Louisiana Plantations

The Antebellum Era comes to life at nearby plantations

New Orleans has its place in history, but so, too, do the towns outside the city that are home to authentically restored plantations dating back to the early and mid-19th century. Sugarcane and other cash crops kept these plantations going – in fact, Houmas House plantation was the largest sugar producer in the country at one point, dubbed appropriately “The Sugar Palace.” Most plantations are about a 1 to 2 hours’ drive from our hotel, but you’ll find plenty of history close by as well: Destrehan Plantation is just 30 minutes away by car.